AS takeover rumours go, this one became a tag team of false speculation and spiralling gossip.

If talk on sports chat-rooms and the Twitter website were to be believed last night, a US wrestling Tycoon would be taking the hotseat at Newcastle United.

Billionaire Vince McMahon, 65, was named on both sides of the Atlantic as the man who would overthrow current owner Mike Ashley.

The eccentric former professional fighter and current chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), formerly WWF, was as good as wearing a black and white scarf.

When approached by the Sunday Sun, a spokeswoman for United said the club would never comment on such “nonsense”.

But thousands of chat-room users and “Tweeters” took the speculation seriously.

Some even went as far as announcing that McMahon and Ashley were “in talks”.

Tweeting Toon fan bigdog wrote: “WWE running Newcastle? Now that would be interesting. Pardew out, Hulk Hogan for new manager.”

And TonyCSGreenall added: “If rumours of WWE boss Vince McMahon in talks to buy Newcastle United are true, that is truly the most bizarre, amazing story ever.”

The rumour was the main talking point yesterday on the US-based fans’ website Wrestling Forum.

One user wrote scornfully: “If McMahon was ever going buy a sports team, why not buy a team that actually plays in the USA that people will know of?”

Another, who claims to be a United supporter, added: “As a Newcastle fan I would love it to be true. Does seem awfully random that he would target Newcastle though, unless he really fell in love with the area when touring.”

McMahon is known in the US as one of sport’s most colourful and controversial characters.

In 1993, he was charged after an illegal drugs controversy engulfed one of his wrestling promotions.

He was put on trial in 1994, accused of distributing steroids. He was acquitted of all charges though he admitted to taking steroids himself in the 1980s.

The prosecution made the world’s most famous wrestler Hulk Hogan its star witness.